Coming into this season, the Chicago Cubs were expected to address the bullpen first and foremost. With Brandon Morrow on the shelf to start the year, they were already operating shorthanded. The Cubs went to work on adding to the bullpen, but some weren’t going to be ready to start the season. Brad Brach was one of the only notables that would be ready from the get-go. Pedro Strop was going to be needed to step into the closer’s role. Roles were shifting, and many weren’t sure what to expect.
In the first few weeks, it showed how unfamiliar Joe Maddon was with his bullpen.